All sixteen mentioned her jutting ribs, the insubstantiality of her thighs, and one, who went up to the roof with Lux during a warm winter rain, told us how the basins of her collarbones collected water.
Jeffrey EugenidesWhat if you had faith and performed good works, what if you died and went to heaven, and what if all the people you met there were people you didn't like?
Jeffrey EugenidesI approach writing female characters the same why I approach writing male characters. I never think I'm writing about women, I think I'm writing about one woman, one person. And I try to imagine what she is like, and endow her with a lot of my own thoughts and history.
Jeffrey EugenidesThey made us participate in their own madness, because we couldn't help but retrace their steps, rethink their thoughts, and see that none of them led to us.
Jeffrey EugenidesI tell my students that when you write, you should pretend youโre writing the best letter you ever wrote to the smartest friend you have. That way, youโll never dumb things down. You wonโt have to explain things that donโt need explaining. Youโll assume an intimacy and a natural shorthand, which is good because readers are smart and donโt wish to be condescended to.
Jeffrey Eugenides